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(No Model.) A 5 sneeuw-sheet 1.

H. HOLLBRITH.

KEYBOARD PUNCH. i No. 487,737. I Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

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(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. HOLLERITH.

KEYBOARD PUNCH.

No. 487,737. Patented Dec. 13, 1892.

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H. HOLLERITH.

KEYBOARD PUNCH.

170.487,737. Patented Deo. 13, 1892.

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H. HOLLEZRI'I-TIl KEYBOARD PUNCH.

No. 487,737. Patented Deo. 13, 1892.

(No Model.) 5 eeeeeeeeeee t 5'. H. HOLYLBRITH.

/ KEYBOARD PUNCH. N0.'487,737. Patented Deo. 13, 1892.

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UNITEDl STATES PATENT FFICE.

HERMAN HOLLERITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

KEYBOARD-UNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,737, dated December13, 1892.

Application filed March 10, 1891 To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN I-IOLLERITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of O0lumbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Keyboard-Punches; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inkeyboard-punches, and is more especially intended for the purpose ofpunching or perforating the cards or slips of paper used in theHollerith electric tabulating system. In said system cards or slips ofpaper are employed which are perforated at given or predetermined pointsto indicate certain facts, items, or conditions; and it is the object ofthe present invention to provide a machine whereby said cards or slipsof paper may be perforated or punched at the desired points with speedand accuracy.

To this end my invention consists in a suitable frame carrying acard-holder, a punch adapted to engage and punch a card held by saidholder, mechanism for operating the punch, a keyboard supported upon theframe, an index-linger movable over the face of the "keyboard, andmechanism controlled. by the index-n ger to cause the punch to engageand punch the card at a point corresponding to the position of theindeX-nger upon the keyboard, all of which will be fully hereinafterdescribed, and afterward definitely pointed out in the claims, duereference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is aperspective view o f my device. Fig. 2 is alongitudinalvertical sectionthereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the card-holder. Fig. 4is a detail view of the punch; Fig. 5, a detail View of thecardretaining spring; Fig. 6, a side elevation of a modified form of themachine; Fig. 7, a top plan view thereof, and Fig. S a bottom plan viewof the same.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, A indicates a base or frame of anysuitable configuration, in the rear end 0f which is mounteda swivel B,capable of being revolved or rotated.

Passing through said swivel is a shaft C,which Serial No. 384,498. (Nomodel.)

is free to reciprocate back and forth therein and which is connected atits forward end with a frame D. Said frame is preferably formed in onepiece and consists of an upper member d and a lower member d', the uppermember d having formed therewith a perforated boss d2, within which isfitted a sleeve d3, projecting below the boss and adapt-ed to rest uponthe card to be punched and strip the card from the punch as the latteriswithdrawn. The lower member d is likewise formed with a perforated bossdlimmediately below the boss d2, within which is fitted a sleeve d5,held in position and adjusted toward or from the sleeve d3 by aperforated screw-threaded plug d6. The forward end of the frame D isprovided with a foot D', upon the under` side of which are securedsuitable bearings D2, which will slide easily and noiselessly over theframe A.

E indicates a lever, the rearend thereof being bifurcated and pivoted orhinged to the rear end of the frame D, as shown. To said lever E and ata point immediately over the sleeve cl3 are pivoted two links e e,within the lower ends of which is pivoted a punch F. Said punch consistsof a rod or cylindrical piece of metal the lower face of which isconcave or hollowed out in such manner that its periphery will form aknife-edge. The forward end of the member d of the frame D is formedwith two upwardly-projecting lugs dT C17, united at their tops by a pind8, which embraces the lever E.

To the member d of the frame D is secured a spring dQ, the free end ofwhich bears against the under side of the lever E and maintains itin anelevated position, except when depressed bythe operator, as will morefully hereinafter appear. The extreme forward end of the lever E carriesa knob d10 and a downwardly-projecting pin or finger du.

Upon the forward end of the frame Ais secured a keyboard H, having aseries of perforations f, adapted to receive the finger or pin du.

At a suitable point upon the frame A is secured a card-holder or frameG. Said frame is rectangular in shape and of a width just sufficient toreceive the card to be punched. Upon each side said card-holder isprovided for a portion of its length with an inwardly-turned IOO flangeg, underneath which the card is inserted, and upon one side is secured aspring g', the free end of which projects through a slot g2 and bearsagainst the edge of the card. The card-holder G is supported upon fourposts or pillars g3, to which it is secured by screws, as shown, andlies between the members d and d of the frame D. To one end of saidcard-holderissecured a spring g4, of the shape shown in Fig. 5, andwhich is preferably passed around one of the screws screwing in one ofthe pillars or posts g3 and limited in its movement by a pin g5, thefree end of said spring pressing against the end of the card held in theholder G. The other end of the card-holder is provided with twoprojecting pins g g, by means of which and the springs g and g4 the cardis held firmly in its place within the card-holder G.

Any suitable form of spring may be substituted for the spring shown inFig. 5.

The operation of the machine above described is as follows: A card ofthe proper size and shape is inserted within the cardholder G, passingbetween the sleeves d3 d5, and the knob d10 grasped by the operator andthe finger d brought into position over the particular perforation inthe keyboard F which indicates the item that it is desired to record.The lever E and frame D being secured to the frame A by the shaft C,passing loosely through the rotating sleeve B, it will be apparent thatthe linger d can readily be brought over any one of the perforations inthe keyboard II, and, pressure beingapplied, the lever E is depressed,causing the punch F to decend and perforate the card atapointcorresponding with the position of the perforation in the keyboard, inwhich the finger du has descended. The perforations in the keyboard areproperly indicated by letters or figures indicating the items to bepunched in the cards, and every time the finger d is caused to enter oneof said peforations the card will be punched at a corresponding point,the planchets or punched portions of the paper dropping down through theperforated sleeve d5 and plug d6.

In Figs. G, 7, and 8 I have shown a modified form of machine operatingin substantially the manner before described. Referring to said igures,A indicates a rectangular frame, upon the under side of which arerigidly secured two transverse rods K K. L indicates an X-shaped framehaving' four sleeves or collars k, which encircle the rods K K, theframe L sliding upon said rods from side to side. Upon the upper sidesof said sleeves or collars 7c k are formed bearings Z Z, within whichare rigidly secured rods M and N, the rod M being longer t-han the rod Nand extended to the rear of the machine for a suitable distance. Oindicates a frame consisting of the members 0 and o', the lower member obeingprovided at its extremity with a transverse arm o2, having at eachextremity a sleeve oi collar o3, which cncircles the rods M and N, and

upon which rods the frame O has a free 1ongitudinal movement. For thepurpose of insuring the movement of the frame O in a perfectly-rightline the member o near its rear extremity is provided with an arm P,having at its extremity a sleeve or collarp, encircling and sliding uponthe extended portion of the rod M. The member 0 of the frame O iS formedwith two lugs o4 o5, between which is pivoted a lever R, carrying apunch r, said punch being similar in all respects to that beforedescribed, and said lever R is secured near its free end to auindex-finger r', sliding in bearings r2 upon the extremity of the membero of the frame 0. Upon the extreme end of the lever R is mounted a knobS.

In all other respects the machine just described is constructed likethat shown in Figs. l to 5 and its operation the same, excepting thatinthe modified form of machinethe frame carrying the punch has alongitudinal Inovement back and forth upon the rods M and N, and theframe L, on which are mounted said rods, has a transverse movement fromside to side upon the rods K K, the index-linger and the punch thushaving a universal movement in every direction.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In apunching-machine of the class described, the combination of a framehaving mounted thereon a card-holder and a keyboard, an index-fingerarranged to have a universal movement over the keyboard, whereby saidfinger may be moved to any desired point on said keyboard, a punchadapted to engage and punch a card held bythe card-holder, and mechanismfor operating the punch and controlled by the index-linger,substantially as shown and described, whereby when the punch is operatedit will perforate the card at a point corresponding to the pointindicated by the index-finger on the keyboard.

2. A machine of the class described, consistin g of a frame havingmounted thereona cardholder and a keyboard and a lever carrying a punchand an index-finger, the construction being such that the said lever hasa universal movementand theindex-fingermaybebrought into any desiredposition over the keyboard and when depressed will cause the punch toperforate the card at a point corresponding to the point indicated uponthe keyboard by the index-linger, substantially as described.

3. In a punching-machine, the combination, with a frame having mountedthereon a keyboard and a card-holder, of aswinging lever carrying apunch and an index-finger, said index-finger being adapted to be movedin every direction over the keyboard and cause a corresponding movementot the punch over a card held within the card-holder, substantially asshown and described.

4. In a punching-machine, the combination, with a frame having mountedthereon a keyboard and a card-holder, of a swinging frame having auniversal movement and a lever IOO IIO

pivoted thereto carrying a punch and an index-finger movable in everydirection over the face of the keyboard and controlling the position ofthe punch on the card, substantially as described.

5. In a punching-machine, the combination,

with a frame having mounted thereon a cardholder, of a swinging framehaving a universal movement and carrying two perforated sleevesregistering above and below a card held in said card-holder and a leverpivoted to said swinging frame and carrying a punch adapted-to be forcedthrough said perforated sleeves, substantially as described.

6. In a punching machine such as described, a card-holder consisting ofa frame having grooved or recessed sides and provided at one end withpins or stops to engage one end of the card and at the other end andside with springs for retaining the card in position, substantially asshown and described.

7. The combination, with a frame having mounted thereon a keyboard, ofan index-iinger arranged to move over said keyboard, a

card -holder, a punch adapted to engage a card held by the card-holder,and mechanism controlled by the indeX-nger for adjusting the position ofthe punch relatively to the cardholder and for operating said punch,whereby when said punch is operated it will perforate the card at apoint corresponding to the point indicated by the index-finger on thekeyboard, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a punching-machine, the combination, with a frame having mountedthereon a cardholder, of a swinging frame consisting of an upper andlower member which embrace said card-holder and a lever pivoted to saidswinging frame and carrying a punch, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMAN HOLLERITH. Witnesses:

OHAs. W. EDMoNsToN, LEVIN S. FREY.

